There are so many diets out there claiming to be the ONE that really helps melt the pounds and we’ve tried them all right? Low-fat vegetarian, low-fat conventional, moderate fat mediterranean diet, high-fat no carb diet, high-fat with carb diet…the list goes on and on. Well, a new study published by the New England Journal of Medicine last week showed some startling finds–Diet doesn’t really matter after all.
Spurred on by several trials that showed conflicting results on which diet led to successful weight loss, the study tracked 811 overweight participants over two years. Each person was put on one of four portion restricting diets: low carb, high carb, low protein, and high protein. They also were required to exercise for ninety minutes a week while tracking their calories on-line. What did researchers find? Every single participant lost weight–an average of nine pounds and two inches off of their waists.
The secret? What they ate didn’t seem to matter– although all the diets were structured with similar whole low-glycemic foods–what did was portion control and awareness of what was being eaten. Which makes a lot of sense. We keep searching for short-cuts when it comes to losing weight, but really there is none-it all comes back to eating a sensible and balanced diet of whole foods and exercising consistantly. So bring awareness back into your eating–try joining an online community that allows you to track your calories and weight loss or eat meals in contemplation without the distraction of television or deep conversation, aware of the flavors and textures you are experiencing. A personal favorite? One of the reasons I love growing my own food and visiting small organic farms is that I can see and feel the amount of time and energy that it takes to grow the vegetables that I eat-the amount of sunshine, water, soil and time. Instead of the endless supply of anonymous food in grocery stores, I know when I am eating, what went into that piece of brocolli or beet and it makes me savor it that much more.
Jen Boda is a writer, herbalist, and author of bodaweightloss.com/blog. Check it out for great low-glycemic recipes, fitness tips, and health articles geared toward weight loss.